Traditionally used for
- Nose & throat
- Digestion
☯ TCM Properties
Directs Qi downward; Dispels melancholy; Removes toxicity
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gou Bao (Calculus Canis) is a rare bezoar, a gastric or biliary concretion formed in the domestic dog, and is used analogously to other animal bezoars such as ox bezoar (Niu Huang). Sweet and salty with a neutral nature, entering the Spleen, Stomach and Heart channels, it is described as directing rebellious Qi downward, resolving toxicity and dispersing clumps, and was traditionally said to relieve oppression of the spirit ('dispels melancholy').
Classical indications include reflux and vomiting with counterflow Qi, chest and epigastric masses and accumulations, throat and breast abscesses, and Heat-toxin swellings. Because the concretion forms only sporadically it has always been scarce and costly, so its use is chiefly of historical interest; it is an animal-derived substance given in very small amounts. Modern practice generally relies on more available Qi-descending and toxin-resolving herbs.
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Botanical Description
Gou Bao is not a plant but a rare animal concretion: a bezoar or gastrolith formed in the stomach or biliary tract of the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus (family Canidae). The substance occurs sporadically and unpredictably in slaughtered or deceased dogs, where it appears as a rounded to ovoid stony mass, typically 1-3 cm across, with a yellow-brown to greyish-black surface, a hard but somewhat layered internal structure on section, and a faintly bitter or grassy taste. Genuine specimens are scarce and historically commanded a high price in the materia medica trade. The bezoar is collected at slaughter, washed, dried in the shade, and stored whole or pulverised for use. Its composition is variable, comprising organic and mineral concretions analogous to other animal bezoars.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Immunosuppressants and cytotoxic chemotherapy (ciclosporin, tacrolimus, methotrexate, corticosteroids)
Gou Bao is a concretion taken from the stomach (some sources say gallbladder or urinary bladder) of a dog, obtained by killing the animal, opening the abdomen, stripping the membrane and meat off the stone, washing it and drying it in the shade. It is then ground and taken internally as a raw powder at 0.9 to 1.5 g, with no heating step. The dog is the definitive host of Echinococcus granulosus, and taeniid eggs shed into the canine gastrointestinal tract are directly infective to humans by ingestion, producing cystic echinococcosis with cysts in liver and lung. Toxocara canis larvae are present in the tissues of most dogs, and human toxocariasis has been reported from ingestion of animal tissue containing larval stages. Enteric bacterial zoonoses of the dog gut, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Brucella canis and Leptospira, are additional hazards of an unheated preparation. There is no pharmacopoeial identity, purity or microbiological standard for this material, because it is not a Chinese Pharmacopoeia drug.
Clinical note: Do not dispense. Nothing about the traditional indications (plum-pit qi and dysphagia, chest and rib distension, phlegm nodules, abscesses) requires an animal-derived bezoar, and safer pharmacopoeial substitutes exist. If a patient reports having taken it, ask about the source and consider serology for echinococcosis and toxocariasis if there are compatible symptoms.
Any conventional therapy where the herbal prescription must be lawful and traceable
The species here is the domestic dog, so CITES does not apply and this is not a wildlife-trade question; the restrictions are animal-welfare and food-law ones and they differ sharply by jurisdiction. In the United States the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act, folded into the 2018 Farm Bill signed on 20 December 2018, prohibits the transport, delivery, possession and slaughter of dogs for human consumption, with a narrow exception for Native American religious ceremony. South Korea's Special Act No. 20195, promulgated in February 2024, bans breeding, slaughtering, distributing and selling dogs for food, with penalties from 2027. Taiwan's 2017 Animal Protection Act amendment bans consumption of dog and cat products. In mainland China dogs were removed from the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources in May 2020 and reclassified as companion animals, and Shenzhen and Zhuhai have municipal bans on eating dogs. The material is not in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, so no jurisdiction offers a legitimate regulated supply chain for it.
Clinical note: Treat Gou Bao as an obsolete entry retained for historical completeness rather than as a dispensable drug. Do not order it, and be aware that any product offered under this name has no verifiable identity, since a concretion cannot be authenticated to species by inspection.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Gang Mu
Ming dynastyThis information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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